Sidewalk Repair Proposal Would Shift Responsibility To Homeowners
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A proposal that would shift the responsibility of fixing broken sidewalks back to property owners will be considered Monday by a Los Angeles city panel.
Under state law, property owners are on the hook for repairing sidewalks adjacent to their homes – but in 1974, the city exempted property owners from repairing sidewalks damaged by overgrown tree roots. The exception was made so that the city could take advantage of federal funds for the repairs, but that money soon dried up, leaving the city still responsible but unable to continue fixing sidewalks, City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana wrote in a report released this week.
The report recommends that the city "phase in" the process for restoring the responsibility of sidewalk repairs to property owners.
The City Council's Budget and Finance and Public Works and Gang Reduction committees are scheduled to meet Monday to discuss Santana's proposals. A series of hearings throughout the city is also being planned.
The report also recommends that the city once again set up a sidewalk inspection program to evaluate the condition of sidewalks and to issue notices or citations when repairs are needed. He's proposing the city assume the responsibility for repairing sidewalks adjacent to "single-family" homes if they are found to be damaged by street tree roots, then assign that responsibility back to property owners for future fixes.
The "fix and release" strategy was not advised by the report for commercial properties. It noted that property owners should have one year to fix sidewalks before the inspection is done, and another year to do the repairs if the sidewalks are cited as needing them.
The report also advised against most cost-sharing plans for now, since the city would be responsible for fixing residential sidewalks during the first few years, except for when the programs are aimed at encouraging more repairs.
The plan is being contemplated now that city leaders have agreed to spend $1.4 billion -- or about $31 million a year -- over three decades as part of a legal settlement with disability advocates to reduce the amount of crumbling sidewalks around the city.
The settlement requires that the city prioritize its repair spending starting with sidewalks outside city buildings and facilities, then transportation corridors, hospitals and other medical facilities, commercial and business areas, places of employment and finally, residential areas.
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